- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
By Centennial League girls wrestling standards, Saturday's Washburn Rural championship run was a runaway.
After losing the title by a single point to Emporia in the first girls league meet in 2020 and pulling out a five-point win over the Spartans a year ago, Washburn Rural avoided the drama in Saturday's league tournament at Highland Park, earning the title by a 190-149 margin over Emporia.
Five Rural wrestlers won individual titles, including repeat champion Addison Broxterman, and the Junior Blues got top-four league finishes in all 12 weight classes.
"Winning was goal No. 1 and goal No. 2 was to have a statement victory,'' Washburn Rural coach Damon Parker said. "It's been close the last couple of years and to win today the way that we did, with all 12 kids contributing to the title and winning it emphatically, was pretty important to us.
"The kids sent a message today and it was great.''
Junior Addison Broxterman won her second straight Centennial League wrestling title Saturday, helping lead Washburn Rural to its second straight team championship. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Broxterman, a junior 120-pounder, improved to 35-2 on the season with a win by pin over Junction City sophomore Charly Goodwin while Washburn Rural also got championships from sophomore 101-pounder Kristen Rezac (30-5), junior 132-pounder Alexis Fredrickson (34-4), sophomore 143-pounder Laiken Clark (26-10) and sophomore 170-pounder Ta'Ani Rhoten (17-7).
Washburn Rural junior Alexis Fredrickson (top) captured the 132-pound Centennial League title Saturday, helping Rural repeat as the league team champ. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Broxterman is ranked second in Class 6A-5A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association while Fredrickson is No. 4-ranked and Rezac No. 5-ranked in the current state rankings.
Rural also had a second-place finish from senior Jailyn Johnson (155), five thirds and a fourth on the day.
"I'm real confident with the way the girls are wrestling right now,'' Parker said. "Our girls are wrestling with heart.''
Seaman sophomore Madison Murray won the Centennial League title at 115 pounds, leading the Vikings to a third-place team finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman finished third in the team standings with 117.5 points, led by sophomore 115-pound champ Madison Murray, who improved to 24-4 on the season.
The Vikings also got runner-up finishes from freshman Taylie Heston (109), senior Rylee Murray (126), freshman Koti Best (132), junior Journey Jones (143), senior Alex Cannon (191) and Seaman coach Jordan Best was named the Centennial League girls coach of the year.
Highland Park senior Celeste Gonzalez gains the upper hand on Seaman's Alex Cannon in Saturday's 191-pound Centennial League championship match. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
After not being allowed to compete in the 2020-2021 season due to a ruling by the USD 501 school board, Highland Park, Topeka High and Topeka West all had wrestlers win titles on Saturday.
Topeka High junior Marilena Zuniga (22-6) took the 138-pound championship while Highland Park senior Celeste Gonzalez (13-4) won at 191 pounds and Topeka West sophomore Tristyn Johnson (22-5) was the 235-pound champ.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As a first-year head coach you might think that Washburn Rural's Josh Hogan would have been fighting some nerves heading into Saturday's Centennial League wrestling tournament at Highland Park.
After all, there is a certain amount of pressure that goes with being the two-time defending champ.
But Hogan said he was comfortable putting everything in the hands of his Junior Blues, who went out and claimed their third consecutive team crown by a 202.5-174.5 margin over Manhattan.
"I know what the kids are capable of,'' Hogan said. "The last couple of times we wrestled I think we didn't wrestle as good as I thought we could, so we've really been pushing them hard and motivating them in practice to kind of step it up and I think they stepped up to the pump today and responded to what we've been working on in practice.''
The Rural boys had seven wrestlers crowned league champions, led by four-time champ Austin Fager.
Fager won the 182-pound title with a 46-second win by pin over Emporia junior Davian White in the championship match, improving to 33-2 on the season.
"It's obviously nice to come in here with a new head coach and pick up where we left off, like nothing's ever happened,'' Fager said. "We've been getting right after business and coming out here and taking teams down one by one.
"We're going to try to do that for the rest of the year as well.''
Washburn Rural senior Austin Fager won his fourth Centennial League individual title Saturday, helping lead the Junior Blues to their third straight team crown. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Two-time state champion Jacob Tangpricha won his second straight Centennial League individual title Saturday, helping Rural win its third straight team crown. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Jon Morrison (113 pounds), junior Henri McGivern (120) and senior Jacob Tangrpicha (126) all captured their second straight league championshis while Rural also got titles from freshman 106-pounder Easton Boxterman, sophomore 132-pounder Brody Byrne and senior 160-pounder Aidan Boline while freshman 152-pound Kristjan Marshall added a second-place finish.
Broxterman, now 33-4 on the season, was named the Centennial League newcomer of the year and Hogan was named the league coach of the year.
Six Rural wrestlers are ranked in 6A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, led by top-ranked Boline (26-7) and Fager. Broxterman and Morrison (28-5) are second-ranked while Tangpricha (28-5) is No. 4 and McGivern (15-6) No. 6.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys basketball team had been knocking on the door for awhile, including a two-point loss to Centennial League co-leader Highland Park and a four-point overtime defeat against Class 6A Topeka High in its previous two games.
Dwayne Paul's Wildcats knocked the door down Friday night, posting a 54-42 road win at Washburn Rural.
Hayden senior Trent Duffey tied for game-high scoring honors with 18 points in the Wildcats' 54-42 Centennial League road win at Washburn Rural Friday night. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Wildcats, who improved to 3-10 overall and 2-8 in the Centennial League, led all the way against Washburn Rural (6-8, 5-5), jumping out to a 14-6 first-quarter advantage and taking a 23-13 lead to the locker room at halftime.
Hayden increased its lead to 12 points (41-29) at the start of the fourth quarter and Washburn Rural got no closer than seven the rest of the way.
The Wildcats rode a 51-percent shooting night to Friday's victory, hitting five 3-pointers in the game.
Senior Trent Duffey led Hayden with 18 points while juniors Joe Otting and Jake Muller added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Junior Jack Bachelor scored 18 points for Washburn Rural, including three 3-pointers, to tie Duffey for game-high honors while senior Quincey Kidd added 10 points. The Junior Blues shot 36 percent from the field.
Both Duffey and Muller canned two 3-pointers.
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS 46, HAYDEN 32 -- Washburn Rural, third-ranked in Class 6A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, took control early en route to improving to 13-1 overall and 9-1 in the Centennial League with Friday's 46-32 home win over Hayden.
Brooklyn DeLeye
Rural took a 12-3 first-quarter advantage and led 21-8 at the half and 32-17 starting the fourth quarter.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 4-ranked Highland Park's boys basketball team entered Friday night's game at Seaman coming off back-to-back two-point Centennial League nailbiters against sub-.500 teams.
But Scots coach Mike Williams perceived that as a positive, that his team had been able to show the grit to survive those two upset bids to retain its share of the league lead.
And Highland Park used the close calls against Hayden and Emporia as motivation Friday night, taking a wire-to-wire 73-65 win over the Vikings in front of a big crowd at Seaman.
Highland Park junior Ketraleus Aldridge takes the ball to the hoop in Friday's 73-65 Centennial League win at Seaman. Aldridge led a balanced Scot offense with 22 points. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"I've been stressing to our guys that it's February in the Centennial League and I think the biggest thing for us is figuring out how to win,'' Williams said. "The beautiful thing about both those games (Hayden and Emporia) is that late in those games we're executing the whole fourth quarter.
"That was the one thing that we took away from it that I was really, really, really pleased with, seeing our guys execute and stay poised. In the Hayden and Emporia games it was good to see us hang in there and close that gap and get over the hump.''
Improving to 13-2 overall and 10-1 in the league, Highland Park jumped in front 8-0 against Seaman and built double-digit leads in all four quarters while leading by as many as 13 points.
Seaman, which fell to 7-7, 6-5, mounted a late charge to pull within 63-59 with 1:57 remaining on a Gavin Wilhelm 3-pointer, but the Scots responded with six straight points and the Vikings got no closer than the final margin down the stretch.
Junior Ketraleus Aldridge scored 22 points to lead the Scots as all five Highland Park starters scored at least nine points.
Junior Tre Richardson scored 17 points while hitting all seven of his field goal attempts and all three free throws while junior Quentin Adams added 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers and senior Juan'Tario Roberts and junior Jahmir Kingcannon had nine points apiece.
Seaman senior Mateo Hyman scored a game-high 23 points in Friday's 73-65 loss to Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman senior Mateo Hyman paced Seaman with a game-high 23 points while senior Dreighton Griess added 14, junior Kaeden Bonner 13 and senior Ty Henry 12 points for the Vikings.
Highland Park will be back at home on Tuesday after three straight road games to host USD 501 rival Topeka High while Seaman will travel to Washburn Rural.
HIGHLAND PARK BOYS 73, SEAMAN 65
Highland Park 16 14 18 25 -- 73
Seaman 9 13 16 27 -- 65
Highland Park (13-2, 10-1) – Adams 4-4 0-0 10, Aldridge 7-15 8-9 22, Richardson 7-7 3-3 17, Kingcannon 4-9 0-1 9, Roberts 3-9 3-4 9, Clemons 0-0 0-2 0, Robinson 2-4 0-0 4, Reed 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 28-49 14-19 73.
Seaman (7-7, 6-5) -- Griess 4-9 5-7 14, Hyman 9-13 5-5 23, Henry 6-12 0-0 12, Bonner 5-10 1-1 13, Wilhelm 1-4 0-0 3, Barta 0-0 0-0 0, Finley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-48 11-13 65.
3-point goals – Highland Park 3 (Adams 2, Kingcannon), Seaman 4 (Bonner 2, Griess, Wilhelm). Total fouls – Highland Park 18, Seaman 19. Fouled out – Griess.
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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
Winning two of its last three games, Topeka High boy’s basketball was riding its best stretch of play heading into Friday night’s matchup with the visiting Emporia Spartans.
The Trojans would maintain that momentum as they took down Emporia for the second time this season, this time with a 70-59 high-scoring affair in the annual Dean Smith Game.
“That’s the key word, progress, we knew it was going to take a while, and we are by no means there. But when the season started we knew we were very young and very inexperienced,” said Topeka High coach Ty Baumgardner. “We just said stay the course and lets build for February.”
Ty Baumgardner's Topeka High boys eclipsed last season's win total with a 70-59 Centennial League victory over Emporia Friday night. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High knocked down 10 triples as the Trojans moved to 4-11 on the season to cap off an undefeated week.
“We got a good week but we got to get ready and move on because there is no rest,” Baumgardner said.
Turnovers dominated early as both teams combined for six field goal attempts in the first four minutes. The six first-quarter points for the Trojans were split between junior Mason Gomez and sophomore Germane Mays as Topeka High trailed 8-6 after one.
The Trojans got down by as many as eight early in the second, after seven quick points from Emporia junior Parker Leeds.
Then Topeka High got hot from deep, with four straight possessions ending in made 3-pointers. The first three came from junior Mason Gomez to retake the lead, with the final shot by sophomore Isaiah Lyons putting them up by four.
“I was just feeling good, every time I was open or felt like I was open I was pulling no matter what,” said Gomez, who finished the night with 24 points.
The Spartans would respond with the final four points of the half to go into halftime tied, 25-25.
The Trojans defense came out of halftime strong, allowing only four points in the first four and a half minutes to build a six-point lead.
Emporia would quickly respond, with six points from Leeds to take a lead. They would control it until Topeka High sophomore Mister Cameron converted an and-one drive with under two seconds left, resulting in a 43-41 lead entering the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, Gomez came alive again for the Trojans, knocking down three triples in the first four minutes, putting Topeka High up, 54-49.
“He carried us tonight, there's no question about it and that's what he can do, he can shoot the basketball. He has been having a hard time finding his groove and learning how to do things the way we want them done with a new offense,” Baumgardner said. “But he caught fire, and when he is in a groove he can be dangerous.”
Inside the final four minutes, the Trojans got two baskets from sophomore BJ Canady while Leeds continued to score for the Spartans to keep the deficit within five.
Topeka High turned up its full-court press in the final two minutes, forcing turnovers and in turn getting fouled by Emporia to stop the clock. Canady, Gomez and sophomore Bryson Thrasher each went 2-2 at the line, creating a 10-point cushion.
A few more free throws would seal it for the Trojans, who ended the night with the 11-point win.
“We did guard well down the stretch and we made our free throwsm but we were not real smart with our decisions so that’s a little disappointing and not seeing growth when we need to. But overall, pretty good down the stretch,” Baumgardner said.
The 24 points from Gomez on seven 3-pointers led the Trojans and the game in scoring. Canady and Thrasher each finished in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Topeka High.
Leeds paced the Spartans with 23 points. Sophomore Sheldon Stewart finished with 12 points and senior Jacob Ortega added 10.
With the win Topeka High eclipsed its win total in the 2020-2021 season and improved to 4-7 in league play.
Next up is a road matchup with Highland Park on Tuesday.
TOPEKA HIGH BOYS 70, EMPORIA 59
Topeka High 6 19 18 27 -- 70
Emporia 8 17 16 18 -- 59
Topeka High (4-11, 4-7-) – Lyons 2-4 0-1 6, Mays 3-8 1-4 7, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Thrasher 2-10 6-6 11, Flenoy 1-4 1-1 3, Hales 0-0 0-0 0, Gomez 7-10 3-4 24, Canady 4-6 4-6 12. Totals 22-42 16-23 70.
Emporia (2-13, 1-10) – Stewart 3-4 6-6 12, Leeds 8-12 6-7 23, Templeton 0-1 0-0 0, Rech 2-4 0-0 4, Hess 3-3 2-2 8, Seeley 0-0 0-0 0, Ortega 4-8 2-3 10, Peters 1-6 0-0 2. Totals 21-38 16-18 59.
3-point goals – Topeka High 10 (Gomez 7, Lyons 2, Thrasher 1). Emporia 1 (Leeds 1). Total fouls – Topeka High 19, Emporia 22. Fouled out – Emporia (Stewart). Technical fouls – None.
